A bloody clash on Wednesday at Abakpa Main Market in Ebonyo State left one unidentified person dead. The person was allegedly killed by the taskforce working for the state government for an alleged refusal to pay taxes to the government.
The market is located at the centre of the state capital, near Abacha roundabout.
The bloody clash started when some prominent personalities working for the state government took taskforce agents into the market and sealed about seven (7) shops belonging to some persons believed to have refused to pay income tax to the state government.
It was gathered that the victim tried to stop the taskforce from sealing his shop inherited from his father, but the taskforce warded off his actions, resulting to his collapse.
Investigation revealed that the victim recently returned from hospital where he underwent surgical operation.
It was equally learnt that the victim was one of the people that took the government to court for double taxation, however, the reason for taking the government to court according them, was that some of them had already paid their income tax to the chairman of the market, but was removed by the state government for alleged embezzlement of over N57 million.
Some of the market owners who spoke to journalists off record accused the government of using police to harness, assault, arrest and injured many of their members.
In a swift reaction, the commissioner for Internal Security, Stanley Okoro admitted taking some government approved taskforce to the market to enforce the payment taxes to the state government, but denied knowledge of eruption of crisis.
The market is located at the centre of the state capital, near Abacha roundabout.
The bloody clash started when some prominent personalities working for the state government took taskforce agents into the market and sealed about seven (7) shops belonging to some persons believed to have refused to pay income tax to the state government.
It was gathered that the victim tried to stop the taskforce from sealing his shop inherited from his father, but the taskforce warded off his actions, resulting to his collapse.
Investigation revealed that the victim recently returned from hospital where he underwent surgical operation.
It was equally learnt that the victim was one of the people that took the government to court for double taxation, however, the reason for taking the government to court according them, was that some of them had already paid their income tax to the chairman of the market, but was removed by the state government for alleged embezzlement of over N57 million.
Some of the market owners who spoke to journalists off record accused the government of using police to harness, assault, arrest and injured many of their members.
In a swift reaction, the commissioner for Internal Security, Stanley Okoro admitted taking some government approved taskforce to the market to enforce the payment taxes to the state government, but denied knowledge of eruption of crisis.